Walking on common ground: a cross-disciplinary scoping review on the clinical utility of digital mobility outcomes

Physical mobility is essential to health, and patients often rate it as a high-priority clinical outcome. Digital mobility outcomes (DMOs), such as real-world gait speed or step count, show promise as clinical measures in many medical conditions. However, current research is nascent and fragmented by discipline. This scoping review maps existing evidence on the clinical utility of DMOs, identifying commonalities across traditional disciplinary divides. In November 2019, 11 databases were searched for records investigating the validity and responsiveness of 34 DMOs in four diverse medical conditions (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip fracture). Searches yielded 19,672 unique records. After screening, 855 records representing 775 studies were included and charted in systematic maps. Studies frequently investigated gait speed (70.4% of studies), step length (30.7%), cadence (21.4%), and daily step count (20.7%). They studied differences between healthy and pathological gait (36.4%), associations between DMOs and clinical measures (48.8%) or outcomes (4.3%), and responsiveness to interventions (26.8%). Gait speed, step length, cadence, step time and step count exhibited consistent evidence of validity and responsiveness in multiple conditions, although the evidence was inconsistent or lacking for other DMOs. If DMOs are to be adopted as mainstream tools, further work is needed to establish their predictive validity, responsiveness, and ecological validity. Cross-disciplinary efforts to align methodology and validate DMOs may facilitate their adoption into clinical practice

Walking on common ground: a cross-disciplinary scoping review on the clinical utility of digital mobility outcomes

Physical mobility is essential to health, and patients often rate it as a high-priority clinical outcome. Digital mobility outcomes (DMOs), such as real-world gait speed or step count, show promise as clinical measures in many medical conditions. However, current research is nascent and fragmented by discipline. This scoping review maps existing evidence on the clinical utility of DMOs, identifying commonalities across traditional disciplinary divides. In November 2019, 11 databases were searched for records investigating the validity and responsiveness of 34 DMOs in four diverse medical conditions (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip fracture). Searches yielded 19,672 unique records. After screening, 855 records representing 775 studies were included and charted in systematic maps. Studies frequently investigated gait speed (70.4% of studies), step length (30.7%), cadence (21.4%), and daily step count (20.7%). They studied differences between healthy and pathological gait (36.4%), associations between DMOs and clinical measures (48.8%) or outcomes (4.3%), and responsiveness to interventions (26.8%). Gait speed, step length, cadence, step time and step count exhibited consistent evidence of validity and responsiveness in multiple conditions, although the evidence was inconsistent or lacking for other DMOs. If DMOs are to be adopted as mainstream tools, further work is needed to establish their predictive validity, responsiveness, and ecological validity. Cross-disciplinary efforts to align methodology and validate DMOs may facilitate their adoption into clinical practice

Evaluación de FAMACHA en el control de nematodes gastrointestinales en cabras de San Luis (Argentina)

Dentro de las enfermedades que ocasionan un gran deterioro en la producción caprina, las parasitosis por los nematodes gastroint estinales tienen una importancia preponderante, especialmente las producidas por Hae- monchus contortus, especie dominante en el centro de la Argentina y de mayor signi¿cación por las pérdidas que ocasiona. Con el objetivo de evaluar el sistema de control FAMACHA © (FAM) en la detección de anemia en cabras de San Luis (SL) (Argentina), se muestrearon 42 animales en un establecimiento de producción de cabritos ubicado en Villa Mercedes (SL). Durante los meses estivales se determinó la presencia o no de anemia mediante el color de la mucosa ocular según la escala de la carta de colores FAM con cinco grados, el hematocrito (Hem), la condición corporal (CC), el conteo de huevos (hpg) y las especies de nematodos presentes. Las observaciones se realizaron sobre dos grupos de 21 animales: el G1 sin desparasitar al co- mienzo del ensayo y el G2 desparasitado al comienzo de la estación estival (manejo del establecimiento) con Ricobendazol al 15% ajustada a dosis caprina. Los animales con los grados FAM 4 y 5 fueron desparasitados con la misma droga y dosis. Se estimó la correlación existente entre los grados de FAM, Hem y CC, como la sensibilidad (S), especi¿cidad (E) y los valores predictivos positivo (VP) y negativo (VP-), usando el Hem 19% para determinar anemia. Los coprocultivos demostraron un predominio de Haemonchus sp. superior al 64% promedio del período. Los grados de FAM 2 y 3 fueron los más numerosos y con hematocritos más altos que los de la bibliografía, mientras que los grados 4 y 5 se encontraron dentro de los parámetros de hematocritos anémicos. Los coe¿cientes de correlación (p<0,01) fueron: entre Hem-FAM r= -0,49 y r= -0,40, entre el hpg-FAM y r= 0,38 y r= 0,19 y entre CC- FAM r= -0,51 y r= -0,25 respectivamente para G1y G2. La S en ambos grupos fue mayor (100%) cuando se usaron los criterios FAM 3, 4 y 5 como positivos, sin embargo la E de ambos grupos fue mayor (93% y 99% respectivamente) para los criterios positivos de 4 y 5. En ambos grupos, el VP- siempre fue alto ( a 99,2%) demostrando seguridad al diagnosticar a los verdaderos negati - vos. Por el contrario, el VP fue bajo al considerar positivos los valores 3, 4 y 5 seguramente debido al alto porcentaje de falsos positivos, pero mediano al considerar positivos los valores 4 y 5. Al ¿nal del estudio se observó la misma carga de hpg entre los grupos, a pesar de que G1 utilizó un 41% menos de antihelmíntico respecto a G2. El uso de FAMACHA © en caprinos constituye una herramienta de gran utilidad para el control de la haemoncosis, ya que permite detectar y desparasitar a los animales del rebaño que se mani¿estan como más sensibles a los Haemonchus sp. (tratamientos selectivos)

Investigation of anthropic effects connected with metal ions concentration, organic matter and grain size in Bormida river sediments

An investigation on the sediment composition and grain size was carried out along the Bormida river (Piedmont, Northern Italy). The samples were taken both in the riverbed and on its banks. Multivariate statistical exploratory methods permitted to identify possible sources of primary pollution. In particular, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that there are probably at least three anthropogenic main causes of pollution, one connected with Cr, Ni and Sn, the second with cadmium and the last one with mercury. Some correlations were found between heavy metal ion concentrations and organic matter and/or the sediment grain size. Differences between the samples collected in the riverbed and on the banks were identified and the relationships between the principal components and the distance of the samples from the riverbed and from the hot spot represented by the ACNA industrial site were also analyzed

Determination of presence of Tritrichomonas foetus in uterine lavages from cows with reproductive problems Determinação da presença de Tritrichomonas foetus em lavados uterinos de vacas com problemas reprodutivos

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Tritrichomonasfoetus in two dairy herds on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. Twenty-one low-volume uterine lavages from cows with a history of reproductive problems in two dairy herds located in the municipality of Sibaté (Cundinamarca) and Ventaquemada (Boyacá) were evaluated. In the first herd, 10 cows were sampled and in the second, 11 cows, based on three inclusion criteria. The uterine lavages were obtained through infusion of physiological saline solution into the uterine body. The samples were centrifuged and seeded in Tritrichomonas basal medium for 10-15 days at 37 ºC. The protozoa were evaluated on the day of sampling and 10 and 15 days after incubation by means of direct viewing under a dark-field microscope. Positive samples were stained with Wright and Lugol to identify the morphological characteristics. This study showed that T. foetus was present in 61.8% of the animals sampled. The determination that T. foetus was present in 61.8% of the samples analyzed is a significant finding given that in the herds evaluated, this agent had not previously been diagnosed.<br>O objetivo do presente estudo, foi determinar a presença de Tritrichomonas foetus em dois rebanhos leiteiros no Altiplano Cundiboyacense. De vacas com um histórico de problemas reprodutivos, foram avaliados 21 lavados uterinos de pequeno volume, em dois rebanhos leiteiros localizados nos municípios de Sibaté (Cundinamarca) e Ventaquemada (Boyacá). No primeiro rebanho, 10 vacas foram amostradas e no segundo 11, baseado em três critérios de inclusão. Os lavados uterinos foram obtidos mediante infusão de solução salina fisiológica no corpo do útero. As amostras foram centrifugadas e semeadas em meio de cultura básico para Tritrichomonas por 10-15 dias a 37 ºC. Os protozoários foram avaliados no dia da colheita de amostras e 10 e 15 dias após incubação por meio de visualização direta sob um microscópio de campo escuro. As amostras positivas foram coradas com Wright e Lugol para identificar as características morfológicas. Este estudo mostrou que T. foetus estava presente em 61,8% dos animais amostrados. A determinação de que T. foetus estava presente em 61,8% das amostras analisadas é um achado significativo, dado que nos rebanhos avaliados, esse agente não tinha sido previamente diagnosticado